The Unexpected and Undesired Miracle
by Iziza
Summary: All seemed like a normal day at PPTH until a certain patient rolls into the ER and flips House's life into something new.
1. Prolouge

**Disclaimer: I do not own House M.D. in anyway. The show and it's characters belong to Fox networks and it's creators.**

**Note: This is the first fan fic I have written for this show and I am trying to stick to the most realistic situations I can and stay as medically relevant as possible. Bare with me if I get something wrong.**

* * *

**The Unexpected and Undesired Miracle**

**Prologue:**

"So, what are we wearing today? Panties, thongs?......Nothing? I'd say by the look of those slacks you're wearing it's got to be panties."

"Oh, shut up."

At Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, this was not an unusual sight for a receptionist as she watched two individuals stride into work. For this constantly bickering pair, odd conversations such as these didn't always turn heads. It was actually considered the norm to hear far worse things sing from the lips of one man in particular: Gregory House. One of the most brilliant minds medicine had ever seen, however, every good thing comes with a price. The price for this brilliant mind was the frequent arrogance, disrespectful comments or impersonal questions and quarries House let his patients, and co-workers, suffer. This dreary morning, the Dead of Medicine was the first victim of his verbal abuse: Lisa Cuddy.

Despite the fact that she was his boss, everyday she put up with his antics and she knew deep down that she would never come to fire the man. House was just too good of a doctor to fire over such social awkwardness.

"So, judging on how you are either one: ignoring me or two: have given up on fighting back with sass means, I'm right?" the man went on prodding his boss, waiting for a reaction on some sort. The receptionist was too as she quietly peered up from her work.

Cuddy just rolled her eyes and went on signing in for her shift. She turned to look up at House before she made a B-line to the sanctuary of her office."Just go do your job House and I'll do mine. Thinking about the kind of panties I'm wearing won't save your patients."

With that, she disappeared behind the Clinic doors and House shrugged it off and began to go through several files to find his next case.

* * *

"Must you always bug Cuddy? She has enough on her plate without you always riding her on such stupid things like what she's got on under her pants."

House's blue orbs narrowed at the brown one's he caught a glance with. "How did you find that out?"

"Well," the oncologist started," when Cuddy and I bump into each other we tend to actually talk to one another. You know, something normal people do-"

"Normal's not normal"

"Whatever! You know what I mean. You could at least try to act a little more like a human being-oh wait! That's impossible."

House was quiet for a moment before he glanced down at the cafeteria food that lay on his friend's tray. It was another typical lunch break where House and Dr. James Wilson tended to relax. Although, with someone like House around, there was no such thing as relaxation. House had spent most of his day, so far, on Clinic duty under Cuddy's orders. In a way, it was like pay-back for all of his rude behavior. No interesting cases had floated his way and so, House had to slave in several hours of typical patients that walked into the PPTH Clinic.

"How's your patients?"

Wilson seemed to freeze in bewilderment at the question. He blinked and straightened his posture."Well, they have cancer and most of them are dying, why ask? You know this, to you it's boring. Plus, you never ask about my patients out of the blue."

House merely shrugged."You ask me to be human and I do but when I do, you question it? What? You some sort of hypocrite?"

"No House, I know you and you don't normally comply to requests……easily." Wilson paid for his lunch and lead his limping friend off to a table to eat. Once settled, Wilson dug into the salad he ordered but after a moment he stopped, noticing House had not said a word since they left the line. That was an eternity to not talk in House's world."Something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh no. Well I 'G2G', bye!" the diagnostician stood and limped quickly out of the cafeteria, leaving Wilson to sit confused for a moment before he shrugged it off. He went back to his meal and soon noticed there was a missing element from his tray. The oncologist let out a huff and sat back into the chair. House had distracted him in order to snatch Wilson's ice cream sandwich.

* * *

"Hey, you see House yet today?"

"No, he's got Clinic duty or, he's trying to get out of it."

"Which means he'll be down here at any moment to go snooping around for a case."

Chase and Cameron walked together through the ER. Cameron held a red file, going over one of her patients: Chase had just gotten off a surgery a half-hour ago and was spending the last bit of his break with Cameron.

"Why do you ask?"

"I have a file he might be interested in, plus I-"

Chase stopped, taken back."You're trying to help House out of Clinic duty?"

"No, I just have a case he might want to take."

"Yea, by giving him that file and if he takes it he'll be off Clinic which we both know he hates. So, why are you helping him?"

"When he does Clinic, he often tends to lash his frustration out on his patients, his team, and us. I am saving them, and us, some peace of mind.

Chase nodded, comprehending the logic. He glanced around the ER and speak of the devil; House limped in and went straight to the front desk in which stacks of files sat waiting for his approval.

Cameron and Chase crossed the room to their former boss. Who didn't even give them a sideways glance.

"Just browsing…." House muttered.

This might catch your interest." Cameron held out the file. The diagnostician looked between the file and one of his former ducklings. After a hesitated moment, he snatched it greedily from her hands and began to skim it.

"Thirty-six _year_ old female photographer. Suffered from a sudden seizure_ after_ taking a break from her shoot."

"Seizures are fun to watch but diagnostically boring. Why don't you try to find something a little more fun and then we'll talk."

The trio's attention was caught by a team of nurses rushing in a new patient. House caught a glimpse and saw it was a girl, probably no older than five or six. She was also very pale and thin. Her clothes were too big for her and filthy. House automatically presumed her to be the typical angered kid who wanted to runaway because her parents wouldn't let her have that one piece of cake kid. Or at-least, that's what he thought until he overheard the paramedic inform the nurses the girl's situation.

"Sic year-old female, found by her mother's co-worker in an alley behind a dumpster. Multiple bruises on her lower abdomen and hips. She refuses to speak to us but the co-worker suspects it may be a sexual assault case.

Cameron looked between the surgeon and diagnostician before she left to help the team. The poor child looked terrified beyond belief and if she really was a rape victim, Cameron really couldn't blame her.

"Hi sweetie, I'm Dr. Cameron. You're at the hospital. Don't be scared, no one here will hurt you, we want to help make you better ok? Can you tell me what happened?" Cameron spoke in a soft, gentle voice. The girl only sniffled quietly and lowered her eyes from the woman.

"We can't help you unless you tell us what happened." The girl, again, remained quiet. Though this time, she glanced around all the doctors and nurses rushing about the ER and she pulled her legs in close to her chest and hugged them tightly.

Cameron then had an idea and she got all of the attending nurses to leave them for a few minutes since the patient was stable. She then pulled the curtain to conceal the girl fro, the ER, Cameron with her.

Meanwhile, House and Chase stood as they were watching the scene. Once the curtain was drawn, the Aussie let out a huff and rested his hands on his hips.

"Terrible, to see kids in the ER. Especially rape victims, it's sick." He thought aloud. Chase glanced at House but noticed the elder doctor seemed to be staring at the curtain: as if in a trance.

"House?"

The man blinked and looked at the younger man quickly before his gaze returned to the curtain. He was silent for a few long moments before he spoke only one distant word."…….yea……"

* * *

**Well, there you have it. The prologue. I hope you enjoy it. Feedback would be appreciated. Hope you enjoy!**


	2. Chapter One: Daughter

**Disclaimer: I do not own House M.D. in anyway. The show and it's characters belong to Fox networks and it's creators.**

**Note: This is the first fan fic I have written for this show and I am trying to stick to the most realistic situations I can and stay as medically relevant as possible. Bare with me if I get something wrong.**

* * *

**The Unexpected and Undesired Miracle**

**Chapter One: Daughter**

Later on in the afternoon, detectives were called in to take over the case. Cameron had gotten the girl to explain what had happened behind the safety of the curtain. It was confirmed that she was indeed a victim of sexual assault. Not just that but also a witness to the homicide of her on mother. Now the girl's mother's co-worker had been brought in for further investigation.

Cuddy had received a report on the patient's story and also on the possibility of who she might be.

Immediately the Dead of PPTH raced to the ER in which where the child was sleeping, Cameron on her side. The two women locked eyes and the file was passed to the blonde of the two. At first Cameron's eyes expressed sorrow for the girl and then widen into shock as she went on further into the report.

"Is this true?"

"Yes."

"But, how? It's just-"

"Keep reading."

* * *

House sat in his office, enjoying the silence: or at least, for the moment. He was reclined back into his chair, legs resting up on his desk and his cerulean eyes shut as he was fast asleep Once again, something not out of the norm for Gregory House.

The lights suddenly flashed on, received a tired groan of complaint in return. A small herd of footsteps could be heard as it was lead by a certain gait of high heels House knew anywhere around the hospital.

"I have a case I need your opinion on."

"Why?"he whined, "I was having the most wonderful dream and you weren't in it."

Cuddy, merely ignored House's famous stubbornness. She knew that he just wanted to slack off. Now that she thought of it, there were several clinic patients waiting in which could solve the problem to House's laziness.

"Six year-old female who is suffering from both emotional and physical trauma from sexual assault. She also had multiple bruises around her hips and abdomen-"

"Gee, I wonder what fro-"

"Shut up and listen!"

All eyes slowly turned to the source of the voice who yelled at her boss. Cameron stood with a fierce look of anger burning in her eyes. House decided it would be wise not to piss her off any further.

"Apparently, the girl's mother was a prostitute who worked under a pimp named Devon McDougal a.k.a. 'Big Daddy'. She was involved in a drug affair as well as money problems and winded up dead in her apartment after a hit-and-run shoot out in her apartment. The girl, her daughter, was in her room and came out after the affair and the men raped her. Afterwards, they decided to leave the girl in an alley where the mother's co-worker had found her eight hours later."

House was quiet for a moment for a moment before he spoke up again.

"Seems you know her situation, what do you need me for?"

"Actually House, this girl needs you more than you know."

The man narrowed his eyes at his boss, lifting his head ever so slightly. His logic sense didn't quite pin point why a typical rape patient needed his help. Cuddy took in a breath before continuing on. The ducklings behind her were already aware of the story. You see, rumors and stories went around PPTH like your typical high-school gossip.

"The co-worker recognized a doctor her who, six-years ago, was a regular customer to the mother at a strip club called CAT'S MEOW. The mother's name was Sadie Cherriwood and her stripper name was 'Cherri'. Does, any of this sound familiar House?"

He lowered his head as his eyes darted about, searching his memory. After a brief moment of silence, he shook 'no'. Though in all actuality, he did remember that he used to go to strip clubs quite often a few years back.

"House, the co-worker recognized you as the regular. The beloved customer of Sadie. She said that you two would even go out when she wasn't working. So, it is lead to believe that you have a high chance of being the girl's father."

House just stared at her. For once, he was speechless. A moment after, he began to chuckle, receiving questioning glares from his boss and the ducklings.

"Oh this is hysterical. Sick but actually quite funny. Who's idea was this? Was it you Taub? It has to be. We all know how much of a sick kind of guy you are under the Jewish demeanor. I am particularly impressed with Cameron's acting. I think you just make a nice porn star someday but, what do you think Chase will say? He'll probably be into it."

"This isn't a joke House!"Cameroun practically shouted.

"I would like to run a paternity test between you and the girl."

"I'm not the girl's dad Cuddy. There's no need to-"

"Then you'll have nothing to worry about then will you?" Cuddy snapped back.

House, after a moment, gave in and rolled up his sleeve. He knew if Cuddy came in for this test, then she would have come in needle ready. As he suspected, she had a syringe and drew the amount needed and left his office without another word. House looked to the rest of his team who stared at him with awe.

"Don't you have my clinic hours to cover?"

"House, if you are her father, she is legally yours since the mother is dead." Taub spoke up.

"How would you take care of her?" Kutner pitched in.

"I won't have to worry about that since she isn't my daughter."

* * *

A groan escaped House's lips. He had just suffered another four hours of Clinic duty and was mentally exhausted from the idiotic minds that reside in there. As he began to limp to the elevator, he found himself to be no longer alone.

"Did I hear right?" Wilson asked.

"Hear what?"

"That you could be a patient's father!?"

"I'm not her father."House was really starting to get irritated by repeating himself over and over today.

"But you have been to the CAT'S MEOW before. Remember? Six years ago."

The diagnostician stopped in mid-walk and turned to the oncologist.

"Don't you remember?"

"I remember ditching you are the med. Convention and going out drinking."

"Yea, then you called me because you were too drunk to drive yourself home from a stripper club."

House's eyes darted as he tried to remember. He recollected very little since he was hammered beyond all belief at the time. Whatever the case, he knew Cuddy would shove the result in his face once they popped out of the machine.

"House, there is a high chance that the girl is in fact your daughter. What are you going to do if the test winds up positive? She is going to need thing's I'm not sure you can provide by yourself. You'll need help." Wilson's voice softened.

"………I know……"

* * *

The older man sat alone in his office, twirling his cane skillfully between his fingers. Naturally, the girl was on his mind. Sure, financially, he could probably take care of of her and she could sleep on the pull-out couch but, House never planned on being a father. For one, he was a cripple, how would he possibly keep up with her? How could he raise a child? He could barely stand being with a patient for two minutes without being an ass to them somehow. He doubted he would even qualify to be considered a man for the job!

A groan escaped his lips followed by a sigh. His hands found their way to massaging his destroyed thigh muscle as the pain began to intensify. He freed one of his hands to pull out his pill bottle and proceed to pop three of the magic white pills into his mouth.

After recapping and tossing them onto his desk and waited for the pain to subside. He went back to rubbing the aching muscle when the door opened followed by Cuddy's appearance, a file in her hand. She tossed it on House's desk and before he could open it, she spoke up.

"Read it."

House opened the file and looked inside for the result. There the dreaded word was printed in plain black ink on white paper.

**:: POSITIVE ::**

"Amelia is your daughter House."

"Amelia-?"

"Well, I thought you would want to know the name of your own daughter."

Even though it was printed in plain ink, House couldn't believe it. A father. He was a father. The one thing in the world he could live without becoming. The word he had come to hate. The man he detested all his life: father.

"Are you going to take her in?"

House glanced at his boss before his eyes fell back down to the file.

"I don't think I'm-"

"Why not House!?"

He looked up at her.

"She is your child. You are her father! Be grateful. Children are good things in this world. Of course parenthood comes with it's list of bad along with the good but that goes for everything else doesn't it? This girl may just be the thing you need. She could help you make your life happier."

House, for once in his life, remained silent.

* * *

House limped down an, almost, empty hall towards the pediatric wing. It was late, almost quarter after eleven at night. Most of the sick brats would be asleep now. Though one brat in particular remained on his mind: Amelia. He was still baffled at the fact he had a kid but, that reason explained a few things.

House, six years ago, remembered that he was a regular for several months at the CAT'S MEOW. He had come to like the way Sadie seduced him. One night, he went in to see Sadie and her friend informed him that she had moved to the next town over and so, House never bothered to find her. In his mind, at that time, she was just something to keep him distracted from the pain. Sadie was his new dose of Vicodin.

The diagnostician entered the girl's room to see she was asleep. At first, he was going to leave her be but, he found himself standing at her bedside. He simply watched her sleep quietly.

"……my girl, Amelia…"


	3. Chapter Two: The Hearing

**Disclaimer: I do not own House M.D. in anyway. The show and it's characters belong to Fox networks and it's creators.**

**Note: This is the first fan fic I have written for this show and I am trying to stick to the most realistic situations I can and stay as medically relevant as possible. Bear with me if I get something wrong.**

* * *

**The Unexpected and Undesired Miracle**

**Chapter Two: The Hearing**

"What now House?" Cuddy groaned annoyed from behind mountains of paperwork. It seemed that the stacks were higher whenever a certain diagnostician was around.

"I need time off…"

Cuddy gazed at him for a brief moment before speaking up," What for?" she knew the reason but wanted to him say it himself.

"I need time to think. This kid has been keeping me from sleeping the past two nights. Her plump little face won't leave me alone."

"Maybe because she is your daughter and know you should be in your office right now filling out the paperwork for a custody case."

"I have been…"

Cuddy was taken back for a moment. She stood to cross the room to her beloved diagnostician.

"But you're afraid aren't you?" her voice softened.

House lowered his eyes from her to look at the painted flames on his cane.

"It's ok to be afraid House. This isn't a little thing to consider but, it can be one of the greatest things you decide to do. That girl will be hard at first but she will make it up when she makes you happy."

House huffed out and scratched the back of his head."I have a hearing scheduled for this Sunday."

Cuddy smiled,"That's great. After this fight for custody, you won't regret it House."

"I hope not…."

* * *

"Case 4132: Custody hearing of Amelia Cherriwood between father Gregory House and God-Mother Veronica Fitch." The judge, Adam Morgan, proclaimed as he swung his gavel down. House never thought his heart had or would ever beat as hard and fast as it was now. He could've sworn everyone in the court could hear it, including Cuddy and Wilson. House had spotted them in the back row.

His crystal orbs glanced over to a frail-looking woman who sat in the defendant's seat: Veronica Fitch. A prostitute and friend to Amelia's late mother Sadie Cherriwood.

"Dr. House…"

The judge caught his attention.

"I, myself, see no reason why should not have custody. File says you are financially stable and supportive and own a suitable residence. On the other hand, my bias is not appreciated here. Also, the file says you have not been in the child's life since birth, completely unaware of her existence as she is unaware of the existence of her father. Ms. Fitch has more rights to claim the child as she is not only in the late Ms. Cherriwood's will to have custody of Amelia but also she has been more supportive with raising the child. This court asks: Why do you wish custody of this girl?

The room fell silent as all eyes fell on the doctor. Both Cuddy and Wilson egged him on mentally, knowing damn well why but house was the one who needed to say it.

"Dr House?" the judge spoke up, impatient for an answer.

"I want custody of Amelia Cherriwood because she is my daughter by blood. I have a right to house my own biological child but I know, that won't be enough for this case…"he grew silent for a moment, let out a breath and continued, "For the past six years, she had been under the care of a woman I should of helped raise my child with but, I didn't. Due to that fact, I could not protect her from the physical and mental trauma she endured several weeks ago. I failed to protect my own daughter and now, I never want to make that mistake again."

He paused for a second, a relieved smile playing at his lips,"I-I love Amelia."

Judge Morgan seemed to dwell over his plaintiff's response for a moment, as did the jury. House could hear their muffled whispers.

"Ms. Fitch."

"Yes, Your Honor?" the red-headed prostitute's mousy voice sounded.

"You have, as stated before, more right over Dr. House, being that late Veronica Cherriwood stated that she wanted you to retain custody of the child if anything was to happen to her. May we hear your statement?"

House glanced to her, hand gripping his cane firmly.

The woman was silent for a while and looked as if she was having a bloody crusade within her subconscious. After a long moment, she spoke words that seemed to astound everyone in the room.

"Your Honor, I wish to surrender custody of Amelia Cherriwood to Dr. Gregory House." she smiled softly to him."I am a prostitute. That's the cold, hard fact. That is also a life I do not wish for Amelia to be a part of any longer. She has already seen and suffered too much from it. Besides, I can't keep a daughter from her father. I know Dr. House, if he truly loves Amelia, will take care of his daughter."

* * *

A breath escaped the diagnostician's chapped lips. He looked up to the traffic light, waiting for it to flash green. He couldn't bring his mind to wrap around the fact that he had won the case. An hour and a half spent in that court room and his daughter was coming to live with him the next evening. A change of green and his motorcycle roared to life, cutting through the silence of the night.

"I will give you tomorrow and Tuesday off to let you and Amelia adjust to things." House remembered. As soon as the case ended, both Cuddy and Wilson approached him to congratulate him. Smiles brooding their faces meanwhile House was still in a state of bewilderment.

"I'll help you if you need it and I'm sure Wilson will too. If she needs any new clothes or anything, just call me. Okay?"the Dean smiled.

Wilson noticed the distressed excitement that twisted his friend's countenance.

"House, you'll be fine. You won't screw it up. You said it yourself, you love that girl, you love your daughter. You'll do fine. Just go home tonight, straighten up and kid-proof your house."

House huffed out again as he pulled up in front of his apartment. After locking up his bike, he went inside and glanced around. Now that he had to actually look at it, his house was a mess. Several dishes were lying around if not pilling up in the sink. Odds and ends of things lie all over. Abandoned medical books covered the coffee table. An empty pill bottle on the couch. He scratched the back of his scalp and went to work.

* * *

**Note: Well, there you have chapter two! I'm sorry if that's not exactly how a court hearing would go but hey, I'm trying. Also. I am grateful for the positive feedback and reviews. They keep me writing! Thanks again guys!**


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